Pollinators Habitat

Everett Griner talks about the affect climate change is having on pollinators and their habitat in today’s Agri View.

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From: Beependent

Learn about the current issues surrounding the decline in bee populations and the importance of bees in our everyday lives.

Photo courtesy of CDFA

Plants and bees have evolved together as they both benefit each other- bees provide a way for plants to reproduce by dispersing their pollen, and plants provide bees with nectar as a food source. Climate change is affecting pollination by disrupting the synchronized timing of flower blooming and the timing at which bees pollinate. Flowers are blooming earlier in the growing season due to rising temperatures, before many bees have a chance at pollinating the plants[1], [2]. Thus, when bees finally begin pollination there is limited nectar available and competition for these valuable resources becomes more intense.

Luckily, some insects have adapted to this early shift in the flowering date of plants, by advancing their seasonal flight activity[3]. However, the responses of individual species vary and are unknown for many bee species. Unless bees have made the shift alongside the flowers, there could be a decline in pollination and a lack of food sources for certain bee species. And without the flowers getting pollinated, plants lose a chance at reproducing in a given year.

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